COVID cases decrease for 3rd straight week in Ohio

After a slow but steady rise over the summer, coronavirus cases are decreasing again in Ohio.

The state recorded 24,067 cases in the past week, down from 26,016 the previous week and 27,785 the week before that, according to the Ohio Department of Health. Thursday marked the third straight week cases have decreased in the state.

Hospitalizations rose slightly, with 665 COVID-19 new hospitalizations reported in the last week compared to 608 the previous week. However, the state had fewer people in the hospital with COVID than it did last week.

Ohio hospitals had 1,204 inpatients with COVID as of Thursday, including in 91 west central Ohio and in 198 southwest Ohio, according to the Ohio Hospital Association.

For southwest Ohio, which includes Butler, Warren, Hamilton, Adams, Brown, Clermont and Clinton counties, it’s a 7% decrease in coronavirus patients compared to last week, but a 52% increase from 60 days ago.

West central Ohio, which is made up of Champaign, Clark, Darke, Greene, Miami, Montgomery, Preble and Shelby counties, reported a 27% decrease in inpatients with the virus over the last week and a 36% increase in the past 60 days.

There were 173 coronavirus patients in the state’s ICUs Thursday, with eight in west central Ohio and 36 in southwest Ohio.

It’s a 27% decrease over the last week for west central Ohio, but a 6% increase for southwest Ohio. Compared to 60 days ago, southwest Ohio reported a 57% increase in ICU patients with COVID and west central Ohio reported a 60% increase, according to OHA.

The state health department reported 36 ICU admissions in the past week, down from 46 recorded in the previous week.

Ohio added 90 COVID deaths in the last week, bringing the state’s total to 39,310, according to ODH.

More than 7.43 million people in Ohio have started the coronavirus vaccine and 6.89 million have finished it.

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